Tag: thredbo

As it tends to happen on these trips, the first night on the snow is celebrated with a few beverages and banter, and there are usually a couple of people that push on. I pulled stumps at a reasonable hour, and got up around 3:30 to hear the party still going. I headed over to the party unit at 7:00 to grab a coffee and found a couple of people still going!

the bar

It was a glorious morning on the mountain, and I always have a smile from ear to ear when I skid down the hill from our unit to the chairlift.

on the lift to the top

After carrying some leg injuries for the last couple of months that I couldn’t shake, I decided the last week to see a sports doctor, who diagnosed a couple of issues, which were confirmed with a MRI. The main issue is a tear in meniscus, a fissure tear but a bit a of horizontal tear as well. So I probably shouldn’t be skiing this week. The reason I am mentioning this (besides remembering this in the future) is that I am not skiing as hard / fast as I would normally, as I am doing my best to not injure it further. Unfortunately, by favouring my knee, and skiing more tentatively, I am more prone to catching an each in soft snow.

I wasn’t so sure about the soft conditions of the snow, and how the knee would hold up, but had a great session with some of the guys, and then just Gilly and I.

Fire and ice ingredients

Glenn and Gilly prepping dinner

I was made this drink which is one that Sue will love, which was named a Jaffa, as that is what it tasted like

Sunday August 24, 2014Well I better start this post by saying, I get to claim “world’s worst father” as I am heading to the snow, as Ryan is celebrating his 16th birthday. Sorry buddy, I will definitely try to go some way to making it up.

The bus picked us up from our digs around 8:00, and Bruce dutifully handed out the shopping lists for all to pair up. (Great job Bruce). We needed every minute of the 30 minutes that the bus driver allowed us to stop to get through it!

Heading to snow

One of the many heavily laden shopping trolleys

John C was already on the mountain and had scoped out that one of the units would be available earlier than the 4:00 checking time. We arrived at our units around 12:00, quick unpack of all the groceries in the unit, quick welcome beverage, get changed and head down to the village to grab our gear.

One year I will get boots that don’t hurt

Our lift passes are 5 days, but they through in a bonus half day from 1:00 the previous day, so we were lined up and ready to go shortly there after!

It was a glorious afternoon, and Gilly and I got in some great runs, heading up to the highest lifted point in Australia

There is a bar on the mountain, black sallees, that has become a harry institution for popping in during Schnappy Hour. It has a magnificent outlook of the thredbo valley, a great selection of beers and shots, and my favourite beer on tap!

My skis parked outside sallees

Budvar on tap!

There is also another tradition that any new folk on the tour, get to try a shot of a drink that isn’t on the menu, and very much an under the counter drink. If it’s name of “Undertaker” doesn’t put you off, the sight of the floating chilli pulp should… Pete stepped up with John G placed an undertaker in front of him.

The Undertaker

Part of the ski patrol / rescue’s role is the sweep down the mountain ensuring that no one is left out over night. This included clearing out bars such Sallees. There have been many an interesting trip back down the mountain with the ski patrol shadowing is. Things have sometimes got a little “loose”.

even our best skier Kim has a rest post sallees

The first night tends to be a little excitable as people get to catchup for the first time, in some cases, a year. Different drinks are inevitably mixed up from the bar. There is a bar tax of 2 bottles of spirits, 1 being a higher shelf variety.

Fire and Ice shots come out

Last year, in a moment where some people may have been tired and emotional, the idea of having Hamster onesies to wear was put forward and met with lots of laughs. Ted managed a great feat, in that he remembered the conversation firstly, and then order 14 of the onesies to bring along. Looking into the unit, it would have appeared to be a secret cult (and it is).

Oh my…

Today’s song of the day is The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony as it I missed the bear’s birthday, but got to ski. Sue also bought me this CD for Christmas in 1997 when we were living in London, and we knew at the time that we were expecting Ryan to join us the following year.

Well I decided to dust of the blog again, to record some of the going ons of the annual Harry trip. Harry comes from a youtube video of Harry the hamster that did the rounds on one of the early trips.

This year, I was a very late starter, like a few weeks before the trip, and once the to and fro of whether there was a spot, should we get an additional unit, what is the cost impact of the existing crew was determined to be acceptable to some of the elders on the tour, I had a green light. Nigel also had a late start at the same time.

Most years when I am at the snow, I arrange flowers to be delivered to Sue’s work, but rather than be too overly predictable, I grabbed them beforehand this year. It is the absolute least I can do to get away, and leave the family run arounds that is left behind…

Before heading off to the airport, there was still kids sport to attend. Tegan’s netball was cancelled early because of the rain, but Rugby is never cancelled … Sloshing around in the wet looked a lot of fun, and as strange as it may seem, I totally love being under an umbrella watching either of the kids play.

not too dirty…

Gilly kindly provided the pickup at 12:30 and we headed to the airport to catchup with the 10 of us who were heading from Brisbane. I met 3 of the 4 uninitiated Harry tour members, as we had a beer or 2 (at airport / snow prices) and discussed tales of tours past.

Gilly and I, toasting the trip

It was a nice uneventful flight, well except for when Nigel spotted that someone had moved seat so he would pilfer there snack box as they didn’t need it anymore. Then she came back, and must have wondered where her half eaten snackbox had gone…

Kim arranged new digs, for the overnight in Queanbeyan. Traditionally we have always travelled on the Sunday morning from Brisbane, and not getting to the snow until quite late, sometimes without even getting on the snow, and then on the last day (Friday) travelling to Queanbeyan to stay Friday night, and the then travel out Saturday. This year has a new, improved plan. Stay in Q Friday night (no spirits policy enforced though), for early get away to the snow in the morning. Friday travel from the snow to CBR airport and home, is also great. Get home for Saturday kids sport!

We had quite a lot of beer left over last year, that Bruce dropped a carton to his cousin’s house last year (in Canberra), who then dropped said carton to the motel waiting for us as well…

We headed to the local leagues club to watch the Bledisloe cup game. We led in the first couple of minutes 3-0, and that is the last I will report on the game…

to the leagues club, follow the rainbow

Stupid rugby game…

Nine of us decided to go to an indian restaurant we passed on the way to the club for dinner. When the time came, there were only 4 takers, which may be why the restaurant pad us back by taking an insane amount of time for our meals to come out…

An early’ish night to bank some sleep, though the crew upstairs sounded like they may have settled in for a session.